{"id":10144,"date":"2020-06-11T11:00:50","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T10:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/?p=10144"},"modified":"2023-01-16T17:46:08","modified_gmt":"2023-01-16T17:46:08","slug":"top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"18 Long-Time Remote Workers Share Their Top Tip for Staying Productive at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you feel like we\u2019re at the tail-end of this global pandemic, or you\u2019re hunkering down for a second wave, one thing is for certain:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More of us are working at home more than ever before in the last 100 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there\u2019s no shortage of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how-to guides<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/porch.com\/advice\/stay-productive-working-home\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">staying productive at home<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, one thing many of these guides miss are opinions from real \u201cwork from home\u201d experts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long before the pandemic, there were over 77 million freelancers and independent remote workers around the world choosing to work from their home, while travelling the world, or during an extended stay in a quaint country villa.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Decades before we started asking ourselves <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/blog\/is-remote-work-the-new-normal\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if working from home would be the \u201cnew normal\u201d<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, many of these remote workers had already identified ways that help them stay more productive while working from home or elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So today, here are some actionable, realistic tips from 17 remote-working professionals on how to stay productive while working from home.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Train your brain<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Preston Lee, Founder at <em><a href=\"https:\/\/millo.co\/\">Millo<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-10331 size-profile_300\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Preston Lee\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Preston-Lee-Avatar-96x96.jpg 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been working from home (or train stations, or train cars) for nearly 10 years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For me, productivity comes down to routine. Our brains are hard-wired to do better work when we\u2019re in familiar locations or under familiar routines.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While this may prove more difficult at home, establishing a dedicated \u201c<a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/how-to-setup-voip-server-home-office\/\">home office<\/a>\u201d space away from distractions can be vital. Coming into this area only when it\u2019s time to work and leaving this area when work is over will help your mind separate work time from leisure time\u2014which are both necessities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your current home situation doesn\u2019t lend itself to a dedicated space, try working in the same spot every day with headphones playing the same sounds or songs in order to train your brain that it\u2019s time to get work done.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Theme and Time-Block Your Days<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Jay Clouse, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/freelancing.school\"><b><i>Freelancing School<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10369\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Jay Clouse\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jay-CLouse.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&#8217;ve been a remote worker for the last three years, and for me, it&#8217;s important to theme and time-block my days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I know that on Mondays and Fridays I won&#8217;t take client calls. I also know that mornings until noon are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/millo.co\/what-to-write-about\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">my time for writing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Having this built-in structure helps me focus on what&#8217;s important, while also playing to the strengths of my creative energy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I also find that assigning a specific room in my house\u2014the office\u2014as my only place to do work is key in helping me to recognise when it&#8217;s time to be working vs. unwinding.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Find Structure, Prioritise, and Plan<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Justine Clay, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/justineclay.com\/\"><b><i>JustineClay.com<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10370\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Justine Clay\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Justine-Clay.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been a small business owner since 2006 and have tried pretty much every productivity hack in the book!\u00a0 For me it\u2019s all about structure, prioritising and planning my day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ever since I had kids (who are now 8 and 4 years old), having a morning routine has been the biggest factor in my having a good, productive day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been using <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bulletjournal.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the bullet journal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a while now and love how it enables me to see the big picture as well as the day-to-day nitty gritty to-dos.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then I end my day at a reasonable hour and turn off the computer. Balance is everything!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Use a Project Management System<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Sarah Morgan, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/xosarah.com\/\"><b><i>XOSarah<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10371\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sarah Morgan\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sarah-Morgan.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&#8217;ve been working from home for 8 years. My project management system is a big part of staying productive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My go-to is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/asana.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Asana<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. I plan all my daily to-dos at the beginning of the month. I usually have 2-3 top priorities for each day and try to not add more than 5 tasks total.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This way I don&#8217;t need to make a decision about what&#8217;s most important or what&#8217;s next. I just look at my list and get to work.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Set Work Hours and Keep Showing Up<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Ian Paget, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/logogeek.uk\/\"><b><i>Logo Geek<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10372\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Ian Paget\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ian-Paget.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This might sound obvious, but the simple act of showing up is key. Set yourself working hours, and inform everyone in your household.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then sit down at your desk during those hours, and if you can, close the door so you\u2019re not distracted by family. <\/span><a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/working-remotely-the-2019-recipe-to-high-productivity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you\u2019re not feeling motivated to work<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, you\u2019ll soon start to make progress as you\u2019re in the right place to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of my biggest distractions is social media. It\u2019s so easy to jump to my web browser to do some work related task, such as reply to an email, to then end up scrolling on Facebook to catch up with notifications. It can become a real time suck. To eradicate this problem I use a handy piece of software called <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/freedom.to\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which allows you to temporarily switch off websites of your choice for a period of time.<\/span><\/p>\n\t<div class=\"cta-banner  CID-2FdM5dTp IID-6a09362fc3e5e\"\r\n\t\tdata-dl-custom-type=\"ctaButton\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"cta-banner-img-wrap\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cta-banner-img\" style=\"background-image:url(\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/wfh-made-easy.png)\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"cta-body\" data-dl-custom-type=\"ctaButton\">\r\n\t\t\t<span class=\"cta-sub-heading\">working from home made easy<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"cta-heading\">Keep connected and stay productive<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t<p>Find out how to make the most of your working from home situation.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<a class=\"rc-cta-shortcode btn btn-primary btn-lg\" data-dl-element=\"button\"\r\n\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/work-from-home.html\" class=\"btn btn-primary\"\r\n\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-dl-additional-info=\"Keep connected and stay productive\"\r\n\t\t\t\tdata-dl-name=\"Keep connected and stay productive | Learn more\">Learn more<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\n<h2><b>Set Boundaries (and Stick to Them)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Brent Galloway, <\/b><a href=\"http:\/\/brentgalloway.me\"><b><i>BrentGalloway.me<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10373\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Brent Galloway\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Brent-Galloway.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been working from home <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/millo.co\/10-steps-to-becoming-a-successful-freelance-designer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as a freelance graphic designer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> since 2011. The only way I\u2019ve been able to stay productive while working from home is by setting boundaries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I operate my entire business from a spare bedroom in our house. When I need to focus, I can shut the door and isolate myself from distractions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I could work from the comfort of my bed with the laptop. But those two things conflict each other\u2014working in the same place where I sleep.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chances are I\u2019m going to get cozy and take an unexpected nap. That\u2019s why separating where I work and where I relax is the key to staying productive while working from home.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Get Out of The Office\/House Regularly<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Rhonda Page, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/rhondapage.com\/\"><b><i>Rhonda Page.com<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10374\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Rhonda Page\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Rhonda-Page.jpg 369w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&#8217;ve been a remote worker for 10 years now. It was hard at first. The key is to go out every day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even in COVID, I go for a daily walk (and when I don&#8217;t it&#8217;s not as good or productive a day).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, I stop working if I feel tired\u2014I don&#8217;t motor through. I go do something else and go back to it when my head feels clear.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Have a Rock-Solid Morning Routine<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Jake Jorgovan,<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/jake-jorgovan.com\/\"><b><i>Jake-Jorgovan.com<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10375\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Jake Jorgovan\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Jake-Jorgovan.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the past 8 years, I have been working remotely. My #1 productivity hack is to have a rock-solid, non-negotiable, morning routine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It takes a while to dial this in, but once you get it in lock, then your routine because the rocket fuel to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/blog\/six-surprisingly-simple-ways-to-improve-your-productivity\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">launch you into a productive day<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For me, my morning routine includes a mixture of journaling, stretching, affirmations, reading, and writing. I go through the same steps each day and that becomes the domino that kicks off a productive day!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Be Deliberate in When, How, and Where You Work<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Patricia LaCroix, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lacroixcreative.com\/\"><b><i>LaCroix Creative<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10376\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Patricia LaCroix\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-640x640.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-768x768.jpg 768w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Patricia-LaCroix.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remote working isn&#8217;t new to me. I&#8217;ve been doing it in some way, shape, or form now for more than 30 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Staying productive was more difficult for me back when I started than it is now. I&#8217;m also a mom&#8230; and I was a wife&#8230; and there were always distractions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I found that I had to be very deliberate when it came to setting up boundaries\u2014both physical boundaries and mental ones as well. For example, I worked (and still do) in a space that&#8217;s very defined physically. It truly is an office, with four walls and a door. Everything in there is work related. When I walk into the room, I&#8217;m literally \u201cgoing to work.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By the same token, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/small-business\/blog\/wfh-fashion\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">while I tend to dress casual and comfortable<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, I&#8217;m not wearing my PJs. I make a routine out of getting ready for work in the morning, and that helps define when I work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These finite definitions help me think about what I&#8217;m working on when I&#8217;m supposed to be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, leaving the office helps me define when my personal time starts, which for me, is just as important as getting down to the brass tacks of work. It&#8217;s easy to become a 24\/7 business, but a big reason why I am in business for myself was to avoid working around the clock.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So boundaries are just as important for maintaining your personal life as they are for keeping your work life on track.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Switch Into \u201cWork Mode\u201d (But Also Take Breaks)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Mania Mavridou, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/signtr.info\/click?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.designmania.gr%2F&amp;dID=1589399154490&amp;linkName=DesignMania\"><b><i>DesignMania<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10377\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Mania Mavridou\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Mania-Mavridou.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been working as an architect, blogger and consultant\u00a0 from my home office for over 10 years. I work remotely for clients from all over the country and abroad.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To stay productive and creative, I work from a real home office. I transformed my home\u2019s attic to a totally separate, comfortable, cozy and inspiring home office, where I can also meet with clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I never <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/millo.co\/remote-graphic-design-jobs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do design work on a laptop from my couch<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, I need a lot of space for my equipment. When I go upstairs I\u2019m switching to work mode.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I don\u2019t work in pajamas, but I wear comfortable, casual clothes or my gym clothes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two or three days a week I take a long break\u2014I go to the gym, do some shopping, eat and relax for half an hour if I\u2019m tired.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I then continue with creative design work sometimes till late in the afternoon or at night, if I\u2019m in the mood and feel creative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Design Your Day Around Your Body\u2019s Natural Rhythms<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Ben Brush, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/benbrushdesign.com\/\"><b><i>Ben Brush Design<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10378\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Ben Brush\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-640x640.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-768x768.jpg 768w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Brush.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I&#8217;ve been a freelancer and remote worker for several years now but up until recently I preferred to work from coworking spaces and cafes. Now that I am working from my home full-time I&#8217;ve had to make some adjustments.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think the biggest secret to productivity is sleep, but not how most people think.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I hear people say everyone should go to bed early so you can be up at the crack of dawn. I strongly disagree. I believe in getting lots of sleep but at whatever time is best for you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you&#8217;re naturally a morning person, then by all means wake up as\u00a0 early as you&#8217;d like. However, if you&#8217;re a night owl don&#8217;t fight it and drag yourself out of bed early, only to stare blankly at your computer until the coffee kicks in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design your day around your body&#8217;s natural rhythms. This way you can be working during your most productive and energetic hours! <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/blog\/adapt-and-evolve-its-okay-to-lament-the-loss-of-old-habits-as-you-adjust-to-a-new-reality\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you make that one fundamental shift<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and you&#8217;re no longer fighting against the clock each day, everything gets easier!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Control Your Environment and Remove Distractions<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Clay Mosley, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/getdripify.com\/\"><b><i>Dripify<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10379\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Clay Mosley\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-640x640.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-768x768.jpg 768w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Clay-Mosley.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have been working in a remote environment for over five years now. The key to being productive is to find your most productive environment and control it to where there are no distractions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people might think \u201cdistractions\u201d are just if kids are around or if Netflix is playing. It means a lot of different things. It includes everything such as what room you&#8217;re working in, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/millo.co\/best-home-office-chair\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the chair you&#8217;re sitting on<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the music that&#8217;s playing, the temperature of the room, the background noise, and even the essentials like hunger, thirst, and sleepiness.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If I&#8217;m hungry, I eat right away. If I&#8217;m sleepy, I take a nap. It&#8217;s all about eliminating distractions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Use the Pomodoro Technique<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Chelsea Baldwin, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/businessbitch.com\/\"><b><i>Business Bitch<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10380\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Chelsea Baldwin\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Chelsea-Baldwin.jpg 392w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s been almost impossible to keep my normal levels of productivity while stuck in quarantine, but the one habit I keep falling back on is using <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/francescocirillo.com\/pages\/pomodoro-technique\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Pomodoro technique<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If I set a timer for 25 minutes and don&#8217;t let myself do anything but work, it&#8217;s pretty surprising how much I can get done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t<div class=\"cta-banner  CID-2FdM5dTp IID-6a09362fc3e85\"\r\n\t\tdata-dl-custom-type=\"ctaButton\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"cta-banner-img-wrap\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cta-banner-img\" style=\"background-image:url(\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/happy-employee-working-from-home.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"cta-body\" data-dl-custom-type=\"ctaButton\">\r\n\t\t\t<span class=\"cta-sub-heading\">Home work\/life balance<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"cta-heading\">Make working from home work for you<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t<p>Find your balance when <a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/the-ultimate-guide-to-telecommuting\/\">teleworking<\/a> from home.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<a class=\"rc-cta-shortcode btn btn-primary btn-lg\" data-dl-element=\"button\"\r\n\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/work-from-home.html\" class=\"btn btn-primary\"\r\n\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-dl-additional-info=\"Make working from home work for you\"\r\n\t\t\t\tdata-dl-name=\"Make working from home work for you | Learn more\">Learn more<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\n<h2><b>Design Your Ideal Workspace<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Auni Milne, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/sumackloft.com\/\"><b><i>Sumack Loft<\/i><\/b><\/a><b><i>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10381\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Auni Milne\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-640x640.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Auni-Milne.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I have worked remotely now for almost 11 years. We had a house fire years ago and lost our home. It was a tough time but one of the silver linings is that we got to build a new house, and designed a purpose-built studio for my business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because my office is no longer the dual-use space it once was, I am able to be far more productive\u2014when I cut out for the day, materials for whatever job I\u2019m working on are simply left ready for my arrival the next morning. The space is amazing and I keep inspirational objects, books, and my design awards all around me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve had many friends and family members comment that they \u201cdon\u2019t know how you can work from home\u201d because they feel they would be constantly distracted, but having a workspace that is solely mine along with keeping a consistent schedule is what makes it manageable for me.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Stick to a Schedule<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Adam Wright, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/adamwrightdesign.com\"><b><i>Adam Wright Design<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10382\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Adam Wright\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Adam-Wright.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I stay productive by sticking to a schedule\u2014that means getting up, and dressed, and to my office at the same time every day.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I take a lunch, just like an employee, and stop working at regular work hours. I believe staying productive also means taking time to disconnect from work, therefore I don\u2019t work weekends or nights. Also, having a prioritised to-do list with my project management tool helps me organise my day to accomplish all that needs to be done.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Make Your Space Exciting!<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Matt Olpinski, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/mattolpinski.com\/\"><b><i>MattOlpinski.com<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10383\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Matt Olpinski\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Matt-Olpinski.jpg 386w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve been a full-time remote worker for the last 5 years. I\u2019m able to stay productive in my dedicated home office because I made it a place I\u2019m excited to go each morning! I painted the walls, filled it with things I love, updated the lighting, and made it a welcoming space that encourages productivity.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Invest Effort and Money in Your Home Office<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><b>Ben Collins, <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.benlcollins.com\/\"><b><i>BenLCollins.com<\/i><\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-profile_300 wp-image-10384\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Ben Collins\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-300x300.jpg 300w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-150x150.jpg 150w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-250x250.jpg 250w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Ben-Collins.jpg 490w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You have to focus on work. By that I mean that when you&#8217;re in a work block of time you have to let go of doing anything else, like chores around the house. Spending time (and money) to create a good home office environment is well worth the investment if you plan to work from home a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Establish clear priorities and stay flexible<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Yawer Malik\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/urldefense.com\/v3\/__https:\/\/www.cloudways.com\/en\/__;!!J-1DKIBqn-Pi!WUP8f6qNfFIjyljM6R50THkr5BIavjVADvzdTrcNELSJw7vZI5iVBbICv_NBx6VN7X7tJQ$\">Cloudways<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17247 size-medium\" src=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-296x300.jpg\" alt=\"Yawek Malik\" width=\"296\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-296x300.jpg 296w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-640x648.jpg 640w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-100x100.jpg 100w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-40x40.jpg 40w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-24x24.jpg 24w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-48x48.jpg 48w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n-96x96.jpg 96w, \/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/118247775_10219118795382381_7571541576994246307_n.jpg 759w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px\" \/><\/p>\n<div>Working from home during the COVID pandemic was my first experience of working remotely, and I must say that my productivity actually improved during the year. For me, not having to commute reduces the stress of the day. In addition, since the whole family is nearby, I do not have to worry about them either.<\/div>\n<div>\nIn my opinion, success as a remote worker is a matter of having clear priorities, clear communication (through\u00a0internal\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/teams\/overview.html\">messaging apps<\/a>\u00a0and email), and making sure that the KPIs are met by the entire team. I suggest having an &#8220;office&#8221; space (in my case, it is a corner of the room) and a flexible routine that includes breaks and time for exercise.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<h3><strong>Good luck!<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While staying productive at home can definitely be a challenge, these pros are proving it can be done with some good planning and dedication.<\/p>\n<p>Not everything on this list will work for you, but I hope the ideas have sparked some inspiration for your next move toward higher at-home productivity. The key is to learn from others who are doing it well and then build your own plan to create a work environment where you can thrive.<\/p>\n<p>It will take time, but you can do it.<\/p>\n\t<div class=\"cta-banner  CID-2FdM5dTp IID-6a09362fc3e9f\"\r\n\t\tdata-dl-custom-type=\"ctaButton\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"cta-banner-img-wrap\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"cta-banner-img\" style=\"background-image:url(\/gb\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/remote-teams-cta.jpg)\"><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t<div class=\"cta-body\" data-dl-custom-type=\"ctaButton\">\r\n\t\t\t<span class=\"cta-sub-heading\">Collaborate from anywhere<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"cta-heading\">One application for all interactions<\/h3>\r\n\t\t\t<p>Keep your team connected and collaborating while working remotely.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t<a class=\"rc-cta-shortcode btn btn-primary btn-lg\" data-dl-element=\"button\"\r\n\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/teams\/overview.html\" class=\"btn btn-primary\"\r\n\t\t\t\ttarget=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-dl-additional-info=\"One application for all interactions\"\r\n\t\t\t\tdata-dl-name=\"One application for all interactions | Find out how\">Find out how<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/div>\r\n\t\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you feel like we\u2019re at the tail-end of this global pandemic, or you\u2019re hunkering down for a second wave, one thing is for certain: More of us are working &hellip; <a href=\"\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;18 Long-Time Remote Workers Share Their Top Tip for Staying Productive at Home&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":244,"featured_media":10514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-blog-series.php","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[41,181],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>18 Long-Time Remote Workers Share Their Top Tip for Staying Productive at Home<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While there\u2019s no shortage of how-to guides for staying productive at home, one thing many of these guides miss are opinions from real \u201cwork from home\u201d experts.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"RingCentral Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"13 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"18 Long-Time Remote Workers Share Their Top Tip for Staying Productive at Home","description":"While there\u2019s no shortage of how-to guides for staying productive at home, one thing many of these guides miss are opinions from real \u201cwork from home\u201d experts.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home\/","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"RingCentral Team","Est. reading time":"13 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":":\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home\/"},"author":{"name":"RingCentral Team","@id":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/cc4f043d2b478862a8622c28b0ebd08c"},"headline":"18 Long-Time Remote Workers Share Their Top Tip for Staying Productive at Home","datePublished":"2020-06-11T10:00:50+00:00","dateModified":"2023-01-16T17:46:08+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/top-tip-for-staying-productive-at-home\/"},"wordCount":2685,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"\/gb\/en\/blog\/#organization"},"keywords":["productivity","remote workers"],"articleSection":["UC - 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